1. Field of the Invention
The present inventive subject matter relates to the field of footwear and more specifically to shoes having a uniquely configured sole with a cavity filled with a gel material to provide added comfort.
2. Background Art
Cushion pad inserts made of highly viscous gel-type material are known in the prior art. Proprietors of these prior art pads claim to provide the solution for tired and sore feet, alleging they relieve discomfort when placed inside any type of shoe. Many prior art inserts claim to provide additional padding for the ball of the foot when it has thinned out, for instance due to conditions of the wearer such as age, illness, or any one or more of many potential malformations of the foot. Many pad providers claim their inserts reduce pain and ease discomfort. Typical problems with insert types of soles is, as with anything inserted into a pre-fabricated shoe, they reduce the space inside the shoe and, in some cases, actually increase the pressure against the ball of the foot, toes or other foot problem areas.
Most shoes found in the prior art are designed to fit the foot securely and in most instances don't even allow for the additional comfort of a thicker sock. Consequently, typically manufactured shoes will not have the required room for sufficient padding to make a difference or to have additional space within the shoe to accommodate enough padding to make a difference to the wearer. They cause the wearer to lose needed room for the foot while at the same time cause pressure points which can result in blisters and circulation issues for the wearer.
Some wearers specifically seek additional padding, for instance to deal with conditions where the bones of the foot, such as those found in the arch, the area between the arch and the toes, or the toes themselves may be wrought with many conditions, resulting in some types of deformities in the structure of the foot. When adding insert padding, this limits the interior space in the front of the shoe, which then can cause pressure on these distorted areas of the toes or bones (which physically cannot lay straight or normal) and can cause blisters or sores from rubbing on the inside areas of shoes, such as the top and or sides of the shoe.
Other therapeutic shoes have laid claim to using additional types of cushioning material within the shoe or sole but the additional padding tends to be hidden somewhere deep within the shoe or constructed on the outside bottom surface of the shoe and the surface of the sole remains hard and in most typical applications unforgiving. Even if a softer material was used directly beneath a leather type sole, the benefit of the softer material does not comfort the foot as well as if the foot rested directly on the softer material with no interference.